Transaction terminals are in use today at locations where a person makes a transaction in a retail store, restaurant and the like. Most of the terminals have a card reading capability for acquiring both debit and credit card data. Typically, the card is drawn through a slot in the terminal and the card related data is applied to a microprocessor which identifies the card owner, processes the necessary data to complete the transaction and generates a sale slip. Sometimes as part of the transaction, the card user is asked to sign his or her name upon a signature capture pad and the signature is electronically recorded as part of the transaction. Other times the card user is asked to input data through some type of real or virtual keypad.
The capture pad employed in many transaction terminals typically includes a glass substrate that is separated from a deformable polyester cover by relatively small non-conductive spheres. The opposing surfaces of the substrate and the cover sheet are coated with a conductive material. The coated surfaces are, in turn, connected to lead lines that surround the capture pad. The lead lines are connected to an x-y register that is arranged to record the signature data and forward the data to a microprocessor. The customer writes his or her signature on the pad using a plastic stylus or a similar instrument having a point which is capable of forcing the conductive surface on the cover sheet at the contact point against the conductive coating upon the substrate thus electronically recording the signature.
Transaction terminals of the type having a data collection input and display capabilities for attachment to a network are growing in popularity. Currently available transaction terminals have been observed to exhibit numerous limitations. Efforts regarding such systems have led to continuing developments to improve their versatility, practicality and efficiency.